Apparatus for dispelling aeroplanes and the like.



M. H. CLARKE, NE E ASHTON & D. MAGGlORA.

APPARATUS FOR DISPELLING AEBOPLANES AND THE LlKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 1.1915.

1. 219 7% Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY HANNAH CLARKE, NEE ASHTON, AND DEMETRIO MAGGIORA, 0F PARIS, FRANCE,

APPARATUS FOR DISPELLING- AEROPLANES AND THE LIKE.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed October 7, 1915. Serial No. 54,672.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, MARY HANNAH CLARKE, born Asn'roN, married woman, of

I 10 Rueidu 4 Septembre, at Paris, Republic a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an apparatus for upsetting or hampering aeroplanes or the like flying machine while in flight.

The apparatus according to the invention creates a violent disturbance in the air With a view to deviating existing currents of air and considerably hampering the flight of the aircraft or upsetting same. The apparatus used is similar to the known paragrandine or paragrele guns but has lnuch greater dimensions iii-order to amplify the effects. The great difficulty in the construction of guns of this nature of large dimensions resides in that a strong pressure is created on the Walls of the tube after the explosion owing to the partial. vacuum thereby produced, the upper orifice being enerally inadequate for the ingress of air. Tt is therefore necessary to make the walls very thick so as to avoid crushing of the same.

The invention has for its object to remedy this disadvantage by providing large valves or vanes on the external surface of the gun, in order to permit of the free ingress of air when a vacuum, is produced.

The accompanying drawing illustrates, by way of example, a constructional form of the apparatus embodying the invention.

1 is the barrel or cylinder of the gun, formed at 2 and 3 with two conical surfaces, rendered integral with one another, and constituting a throttle or diaphragm dividing the cylinder of the gun into two chambers having differentlvolumes. The lower chamber .4 is provided with an admission pipe 5 for the explosive gaseous mixture, this pipe being continued by. a length of perforated piping 6 distributing gas in the chamber 4.

The pipe 5 on which a valve 7 is provided, is placed in communication with a gas generator 7'.

The external surface of the gun I is provided with spring controlled valves 8 of circular form and relatively considerable dimensions, in order to permit-of the ingress of air after the explosion as will be described hereinafter.

These valves may rest on seats composed of a great number of perforations as illustrated at 9 in order to prevent any bending of the obturating surface of the valve at the moment of the explosion.

The apparatus operates in the following manner:

The bell-jar of the generator is filled, in the first place, with the explosive gas, and the valve 7 is opened. The gaseous mixture fills the chamber 4 and is mixed with air. The valve 7 is then shut and a spark is produced in the chamber 4. The explosion takes place and the column of air contained above the (lia fliragm constituted by the cones 2 and 3, is projected like a gaseous shell, assuming in space the shape of -a ring of increasing dimensions. A great reduction in pressure is produced in the chamber 4 and in the cylinder of the gun 1 and the valves 8 then open and admit fresh air. This construction of the gun permits of obtaining very powerful apparatus of great dimensions without it being necessary to make the walls of the gun too thick which would be necessary without the use of valves.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention 'and in what manner the same is to be per- 

